Via Ferrata is an activity that allows participants to hike, climb, or scramble over terrain while attached to a fixed cable. Participants wear a safety harness and utilize some form of via ferrata attachment system to the fixed cable. Via ferrata systems generally include a harness attachment member, an energy absorption system, and two cable attachment members. In operation, if a user falls from the supportive surface and is no longer able to support their body weight, the via ferrata system transfers the falling force from the user's harness to the fixed cable, thus supporting the user. In addition, the energy absorption system reduces the force applied between the harness and the cable. This reduction in force is necessary to prevent bodily harm to the user and allows for particular materials to be implemented in the via ferrata system. The two cable attachment members are generally carabiner or snap hook type members that are selectively couplable.
One problem with existing via ferrata systems is the potential to deactivate the energy absorption system as a result of particular user actions. If the energy absorption system is deactivated, a user may sustain severe bodily harm and/or may perish. One scenario in which the energy absorption system has resulted in force absorption deactivation occurs when a user attaches one of the two cable attachment members to a region between the user and the energy absorption system. For example, a user may attach one of the cable attachment members directly to their harness after releasing the cable attachment member from the fixed cable. If a user falls in this scenario, conventional via ferrata systems do not reliably activate the energy absorption system. Unfortunately, incidents such as this have resulted in actual user deaths due to via ferrata system failure.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a via ferrata system that reliably activates the energy absorption systems in various user operational scenarios including attaching one of the cable attachment members to a location between the user and the energy absorption system.